MacBook Pro 2015 Review: Still Relevant in Today’s World?

MacBook Pro 2015: At First Glance

Keeping up with its respectable reputation and status in the tech world, Apple left nothing unturned with the MacBook Pro 2015. As a matter of fact, this laptop came off as one of the most sought-after at the time of its release in 2015.

This is because the laptop bags a lot of exceptional features with multiple configurations to choose from. Impressively, all of these amazing features come at a giveaway price.

Speaking of price, as of April 2022 (when I published this review), the MacBook Pro 2015 had a starting price of $329.99. Looking at this price tag, I know you might be second-guessing the performance of this laptop.

Well, in order to be sure of its performance, you have to read this review article all the way through. Hence, read on!

MacBook Pro 2015: Design, Dimension, and Weight

Coated in an astonishing subtle silver accent, the MacBook Pro 2015 does not fail to impress at first glance. To give more details, this laptop features a fine aluminum body that appears sleek, smooth, and solid.

In addition to its solid aluminum body, the MacBook Pro 2015 employs a sturdy hinge made from the finest plastic material. This hinge help keep the lid and base firmly together when the laptop is closed or opened.

As a matter of fact, the hinge is so rigid that the laptop’s lid hardly wobbles when pushed. Speaking of the lid, as expected, you will see a half-eaten Apple logo elegantly placed in the center of the MacBook Pro 2015’s lid.

This logo blends perfectly with the subtle silver color coating on the laptop’s lid, giving it a more refined and premium look. Moreover, if you are very conversant with Apple laptops, you will know that they like to keep things simple yet classic.

Hence, asides from the half-eaten Apple logo, you will not find anything else on the lid. That said, opening the MacBook Pro 2015’s lid reveals a gorgeous 15.4-inch retina display.

This 15.4-inch retina display features an excellent QHD+ (2880 x 1800) resolution. Impressively, the QHD+ resolution allows the display to offer exceptional image quality for video streaming and web browsing.

Moreover, the laptop’s display is made with an IPS panel which allows it delivers wide viewing angles. Therefore, you can watch the laptop’s display from any angle without noticing color distortion or blurry images.

In addition to its IPS panel, the MacBook Pro 2015’s display also features a glossy surface that enhances its color accuracy and production. However, due to this glossy surface, the display might not be enjoyable when used outdoors.

This is because glossy displays are prone to reflections, and they cause eye strain when you stare at them for too long. Nevertheless, the MacBook Pro 2015’s display offers LED-backlit that helps regulates the amount of light entering your eyes.

Thereby reducing any harmful effect excessive brightness might have on your eyes in the long run.

Still on the display, the MacBook Pro 2015’s display is surrounded by slightly thick bezels. At the top bezel, you will find a 720p (HD) FaceTime camera.

In terms of performance, this HD FaceTime camera delivers a very good performance for video calls and skype. However, for selfies or groupies, the camera isn’t the best as it generates grainy images.

Moving over to the deck/base of the laptop, the MacBook Pro 2015 comes with a backlit chiclet-style keyboard. Due to its backlit feature, typing with this keyboard in dark areas should not be a problem.

Besides, the keys on the keyboard are significantly large and moderately spaced. Also, they are not spongy and offer precise feedback with an adequate amount of key travel.

Therefore, any computing operation that involves typing should be convenient on the MacBook Pro 2015. For the curious ones, key travel is the distance between a resting point of a key to full depression.

Located at the bottom of the MacBook Pro 2015’s keyboard is a wide trackpad with integrated click buttons. Unlike the regular trackpad we mostly see, this laptop’s trackpad supports Force Touch.

Force Touch is a haptic technology that allows trackpads to differentiate between different amounts of force being applied to their surfaces. Hence, you can fast-forward through a movie at different speeds depending on how hard you swipe the MacBook Pro 2015’s trackpad.

That’s not all; you can also scroll up and down a document at different speeds depending on the force applied to the trackpad’s surface while swiping. Besides, the laptop’s trackpad is smooth and accurate, making navigation seamless and easy.

In terms of ports and connectivity, the MacBook Pro 2015 falls short. To be more specific, this laptop comes with only a few ports divided between both sides.

Precisely, on the left side, the laptop offers two Thunderbolt 2 ports, a USB 3.0 port, and an audio jack. Meanwhile, on the right side of the laptop, you will find a USB 3.0 port, an HDMI port, and an SD card slot.

When it comes to size and weight, the MacBook Pro 2015 is quite compact and slim but heavy. Specifically, the laptop measures 358.9 x 247.1 x 18 mm (W x D x H) and weighs 2040 g.

When compared to some of its major opponents, the MacBook Pro 2015 weighs more. For instance, the Dell XPS 15 9500 measures 344.72 x 230.14 x 18 mm (W x D x H) and weighs 2005 g.

In conclusion, the MacBook Pro 2015 offers a very solid and beautiful design. Furthermore, the laptop delivers an impressive display, keyboard, and trackpad.

However, this Apple laptop comes with a limited amount of ports. Therefore, after thorough consideration, I will rate the MacBook Pro 2015 an eight out of ten in this design review section.

MacBook Pro 2015: Processor (CPU) Performance

Just when you are still trying to grasp the full glamour of MacBook Pro 2015’s design, Apple wows you more with its CPU configuration. Precisely, this laptop offers several outstanding CPU options to choose from.

The first option is a quad‑core Intel Core i7-4770HQ processor that features 6 MB cache memory. Furthermore, this CPU offers a base frequency of 2.20 GHz and a maximum frequency of 3.40 GHz.

The second option is a quad‑core Intel Core i7-4870HQ processor that offers a base frequency of 2.50 GHz. Also, this CPU delivers a maximum frequency of 3.70 GHz and features 6 MB of cache memory.

The last CPU option is a quad‑core Intel Core i7-4980HQ processor that features 6 MB cache memory. For processing speed, this CPU offers a base frequency of 2.80 GHz and a maximum frequency of 4.0 GHz.

Notably, all the above-listed processor options are high-end and powerful CPUs. Thus, they are all capable of delivering great performances for simple and heavy workloads.

In fact, with any of these processors, the MacBook Pro 2015 should be able to handle anything you throw at it. However, with the Intel Core i7-4980HQ CPU, the laptop’s performance should be faster due to its high clock speed of 4.0 GHz.

Therefore, for the purpose of this review, we are going to be focusing on the MacBook Pro 2015 with the Intel Core i7-4980HQ processor. To prove the performance of the laptop with this processor, we will now discuss its result on the Cinebench R15 test.

In case you are wondering, Cinebench R15 is a benchmark test that measures a computer’s processing abilities by putting its CPU’s cores to work. Thus, the Cinebench R15 involves two tests – the single-core test and the multi-core test.

For clarity, the single-core test assesses the processor’s ability to handle tasks when one of its cores is in use. The multi-core test, on the other hand, evaluates the processor’s ability to handle workloads when all its cores are in use.

Besides, a high score on these Cinebench R15 tests shows that the processor delivers a good performance. So, based on the test results, the MacBook Pro 2015 scored 155 points on the single-core test.

That’s not all; the laptop also scored 700 points on the multi-core test. Comparatively, the MacBook Pro 2015 outperformed some of its major competitors.

For example, the MSI GT80 Titan SLI PL, which also features an Intel Core i7-4980HQ processor, scored 154 points on the Cinebench R15 single-core test. Also, this laptop scored 693 points on the multi-core test.

In summary, the MacBook Pro 2015 offers multiple CPU options that are quite impressive and powerful. Furthermore, this laptop performed better than some of its closest rivals on a CPU benchmark test.

For these reasons, I will rate the MacBook Pro 2015 a nine out of ten in this processor review section.

MacBook Pro 2015: Memory (RAM) Performance

Coming down to the memory, the MacBook Pro 2015 features an onboard 16 GB DDR3L RAM. As an onboard memory, this laptop’s memory is soldered directly on its motherboard.

Hence, it isn’t removable or upgradable. However, upgrading the laptop’s memory might not be necessary because 16 GB of RAM is enough for the laptop to smoothly handle most computing operations.

In fact, with 16 GB RAM, the MacBook Pro 2015 should be able to multitask effectively. Speaking of which, this laptop will be able to open 18 Chrome browser tabs simultaneously without slowing down a bit.

Moreover, switching from one tab to another should be completely hitch-free for the laptop. That said, to further verify the performance of this laptop’s memory, let us proceed to discuss its PCMark 10 test result.

PCMark 10 is a benchmark test tool that evaluates the memory performance of a computer while handling everyday productivity tasks. Furthermore, on this test, a higher score is better.

Thus, according to the PCMark 10 test results, the MacBook Pro 2015 scored 8015 points. In comparison, this laptop performed better than one of its major rivals, the Dell XPS 15 9500.

To be more specific, the Dell XPS 15 9500 scored 7994 points on the PCMark 10 test. Therefore, the MacBook Pro 2015 deserves a rating of nine out of ten in this memory review section.

MacBook Pro 2015: Storage Options and Performance

In terms of storage, the MacBook Pro 2015 comes with an SSD (Solid State Drive) and supports a maximum storage capacity of 1 TB. Apparently, 1 TB of storage space should be enough for most users to save numerous files and documents.

Besides, if you feel the need for extra storage space, you can utilize the SDXC card slot that the MacBook Pro 2015 offers. That aside, compared to other storage drives like HDD and eMMC, SSDs are very fast and more durable.

Hence, the MacBook Pro 2015’s SSD should offer a fast boot time and transfer speed. Also, it should be able to open and save files faster than an HDD and eMMC.

In order to prove this, let us quickly discuss the CrystalDiskMark test result of the MacBook Pro 2015. In brief, the CrystalDiskMark is a benchmark test that estimates the read and write speed of a computer’s storage drive.

To clarify, the time it takes a storage drive to open a file is considered the read speed. Meanwhile, the time it takes the storage drive to save a file is known as write speed.

Notably, a high “MBps” value on the CrystalDiskMark test equates to fast read and write speed. Thus, at the end of the test, the MacBook Pro 2015 delivered a sequential read and write speed of 1442 MBps and 1558 MBps, respectively.

Comparatively, the ASUS ZenBook Flip 14, which also uses SSD, performed below the MacBook Pro 2015. Precisely, on the CrystalDiskMark test, the ASUS ZenBook Flip 14 delivered a sequential read and write speed of 905 MBps and 532.9 MBps respectively.

To bring this storage review section to a close, I will rate the MacBook Pro 2015 a nine out of ten.

MacBook Pro 2015 Graphics Card Performance

For carrying out graphics-associated tasks, the MacBook Pro 2015 features an Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 GPU. This graphics card offers a base frequency of 200 MHz and a boost frequency of 1300 MHz.

Furthermore, the GPU is the default graphics card that the laptop comes with. This is because it is integrated into the laptop’s processor.

Hence, it has to share the system memory with the CPU in order to perform graphics-related tasks. Due to this, the GPU might not be able to run graphics-demanding apps or games smoothly.

Before you start feeling disappointed, you need to know that the MacBook Pro 2015 also comes with a dedicated GPU. The name of this graphics card is AMD Radeon R9 M370X.

In terms of speed, this GPU offers a base frequency of 775 MHz and a boost frequency of 800 MHz. Furthermore, as a dedicated graphics card, it features 2 GB GDDR5 dedicated VRAM.

Hence, with the help of this dedicated graphics card, the MacBook Pro 2015 should not have a problem handling graphics-demanding apps like CorelDraw. Also, the laptop should be able to run most games.

Speaking of games, this laptop should deliver a frame rate of 315.7 fps while playing Dirt Rally. For more insight into the laptop’s graphics performance, I will now share its 3DMark 11 test result.

Briefly, the 3DMark 11 is a benchmark test that examines the gaming and 3D graphics rendering abilities of a computer. Also, a high score on this test indicates good graphics performance.

Therefore, according to the 3DMark 11 test results, the MacBook Pro 2015 scored 4040 points. Comparatively, this laptop performed better than the MSI GS30, which also uses an AMD Radeon R9 M370X GPU.

Particularly, the MSI GS30 scored 1923 points on the 3DMark 11 test.

All in all, I will rate the MacBook Pro 2015 an eight out of ten in this graphics card review section.

MacBook Pro 2015: Battery Life and Performance

As regards battery, the MacBook Pro 2015 employs a 99.5 Whr lithium-polymer battery. According to Apple, this MacBook laptop is supposed to last up to 9 hours with this battery.

Can we trust Apple’s claims? Well, just to be sure, let us briefly discuss the battery rundown test result of the laptop.

Besides, the battery rundown test involves continuous web surfing over a WIFI network until the laptop’s battery dies. Therefore, at the end of the test, the MacBook Pro 2015 delivered a battery life of 7 hours and 12 minutes.

Although this battery life is not up to what Apple claimed, it is quite impressive. Moreover, when compared with some of its major competitors, the MacBook Pro 2015 has longer battery life.

For example, the ASUS ZenBook Pro UX501JW delivered a battery life of 4 hours and 23 minutes on the same battery rundown test.

Therefore, I will rate the MacBook Pro 2015 an eight out of ten in this battery review section.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The MacBook Pro 2015 is a 7-year-old Apple laptop that is still very much relevant in today’s world. This is because the laptop offers a fantastic retina display, a comfortable keyboard, and an innovative trackpad.

That’s not all; the laptop also delivers multiple CPU options with a dedicated graphics card. Moreover, with its great battery life and fast SSD, the MacBook Pro 2015 is Indeed a force to be reckoned with.

However, the laptop comes with a limited amount of ports. Nevertheless, for just $329.99 in April 2022, the MacBook Pro 2015 is a steal and worth considering.

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